Cienegas de Lerma - Birding Toluca

I visited the Lerma marshes on Tuesday morning with the shorebird strategy group.  These marshes were once extensive, but have unfortunately been drained and reclaimed by expanding human settlement.  The few patches that remain are excellent for waterbirds in winter and are also home to the endangered Black-polled Yellowthroat, a warbler endemic to central Mexico.

Toluca is quite high up - about 2600 metres, and it was a chilly, misty start to the day.

Adult and juvenile Pied-billed Grebe

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Great Egret

As the sun rose, so did immense flocks of Red-winged (Bicolored) Blackbirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds.  Some of the flocks numbered hundreds of thousands.

Blackbird flock in front of Nevado de Toluca

Fairly early on we picked up some Black-polled Yellowthroats, sharing the vegetation with Common Yellowthroats, Marsh Wrens and Song Sparrows.  The Black-polled Yellowthroats are distinguishable thanks to their head pattern and darker legs, as seen on this individual.

Black-polled Yellowthroat

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrows breed in these marshes in large numbers.  We found a number of them, as well as Striped Sparrows and Clay-colored Sparrows.

On the water we had good numbers of duck (see below) and several pairs of Pied-billed Grebes.  Meanwhile creeping around the edges was a Sora and we heard a King Rail.  Unfortunately, there was no sign of the elusive and much sought after Yellow Rail.

In the grassy areas were large flocks of Killdeer interspersed with a number of Horned Larks.

Horned Lark, Adult Male

Horned Lark, Female

 One of the most spectacular parts of the Lerma marshes were the number of Northern Harriers doing the rounds.  I counted over 10 - in behavior similar to Marsh Harriers back in the UK.

Northern Harrier

Day List:
Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron (1 juv), White-faced Ibis,
Mexican Duck, A. Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal (3), Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Shoveler
American Coot, Moorhen, Sora, King Rail (heard)
Common Yellowthroat, Black-polled Yellowthroat (regular), Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Marsh Wren, Sedge Wren (h)
Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier (10), Cooper's Hawk
Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged (Bicolored) Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird,
Killdeer (60), Common Snipe (2)
Song Sparrow (common), Clay-colored Sparrow, Striped Sparrow (5), Canyon Towhee,
Black Phoebe, Say's Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher,
Feral Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Barn Swallow, Curve-billed Thrasher

Surprises at La Llave

An incredible morning of birding at La Llave this morning included some real surprises.  La Llave is a large, shallow wetland between Tequisquiapan and San Juan Del Rio.  In the dry season a lot of it disappears, but for now it is in prime condition.  I'd heard some good things about it from a few others so I decided to check it out.  

Breeding Fulvous Whistling Ducks

The breeding range of Fulvous Whistling Ducks is supposed to be restricted to the two coasts in Mexico, although they are known to be nomadic in the post-breeding season.  Indeed, I had come across a flock of 12 adults a few years ago  at Centenario (http://hileybirding.blogspot.mx/2010/09/lifers-galore.html).  I was amazed today, however, to find a number of breeding Fulvous Whistlers, with large creches of ducklings in tow.  These are really interesting records.

Fulvous Whistling Ducks with ducklings at various stages of development

Considering we are in mid-October, the number of breeding birds here was quite surprising.  As well as the whistlers, I saw recently fledged Ruddy Ducks, Mexican Ducks, Eared Grebes, Least Grebes, Pied Billed Grebes, American Coots and Common Moorhens.  It was kicking off.

Mexican Duck, La Llave

Non-breeding ducks included Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, Blue-winged Teals, Green-winged Teals, Cinnamon Teals, Ring-necked Ducks and an American Wigeon.

Cinnamon Teal and Northern Shoveler, La Llave

The Skulkers

La Llave is a very well vegetated lake, and has plenty of covers for skulking birds.  Plenty of scanning and patience, however, worked wonders.  As well as Coots and Moorhens, I picked out a Northern Jacana and then a Sora.  Sora was a lifer, and I'd only previously seen Jacana's in coastal Mexico.  

An even bigger skulker popped his head up shortly after as well.  This American Bittern represents a first for me and a first for Queretaro.  

American Bittern, La Llave

Best of the Rest
Other great birds seen today included 6 Marsh Wrens, 1 Common Yellowthroat, 190 Long-billed Dowitchers, 10 Stilt Sandpipers, 2 Northern Harriers, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk and 6 Turkey Vultures.

Full species list to follow.

Presa Paso de Tables, Tequisquiapan

I had a very hot and insecty bash around this reservoir near the Hidalgo border this afternoon.  There was some nice bits and pieces in the lakeside scrub and woods, including Ladderback Woodpecker, lots of Blue-Grey Gnatcatchers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Summer Tanager and this delicate Black Phoebe.

Black Phoebe

On the water were good numbers (1000) of Northern Shovelers.  A few groups were feeding in a strange manner - swimming together in tight circles to stir up the water in the middle.  Also Mexican Ducks, including recently fledged ducklings, Green and Blue-winged Teals, Northern Pintails, Ruddy Ducks, Eared Grebe, Pied Billed Grebe and American Coots.

Flock Feeding Northern Shovelers

The undoubted highlight, though, had to be flushing a Great Horned Owl from the edge of the reservoir.  I didn't get great views, but what a good first for me nevertheless.

Great Horned Owl

Black-bellied Plover at Constitucion

A lot more water in Presa de las Constitucion today after some recent heavy rains.  The result was that a lot of the wader scrapes and vegetation around the edges are now submerged.  There were still some really good birds around, though.  The highlight was undoubtedly 2 Black-bellied Plovers.  Black-bellied Plovers (or Grey Plovers) are a winter visitor to coasts in this part of the World, and inland records are rare.  

Black-bellied Plover, Presa de la Constitucion, Queretaro

 Other waders included a first Wilson's Snipe and a first Long-billed Dowitcher of the winter, as well as several Spotted Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, Greater Yellowlegs and Baird's Sandpipers.

Herons were a highlight here as usual.    As well as Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and Great Blue Herons, numbers of American White Pelican are building up.  There were 15 here today.

American White Pelican, Presa de la Constitucion, Queretaro

Black-crowned Night Heron

On the duck front, numbers of Shoveler, Pintail, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal seem to be building up.  Also present were a pair of Ruddy Ducks, and a Ring-necked Duck.

I watched a Peregrine fly off with a Feral Pigeon, before scrapping briefly with this quartering Northern Harrier.

Northern Harrier

 Other interesting birds were several Savannah, Lark and Clay-coloured Sparrows, a pair of Northern Bobwhites, a House Wren, an Eastern Meadowlark, 2 Blue Grosbeaks and over 100 Horned Larks.

Savannah Sparrow